Recyled Materials

• Use materials you find around the house for a gift wrap that not only looks cool, but is eco-friendly too. Newspaper is a classic standby if you want your the gift to stand out above the rest. Try to pick a colorful page like the funnies and be sure what you pick is appropriate; you might send the wrong message if you wrap it in the obituaries. Alternatively, use pages from a magazine, comic book or even a road atlas.
  
  

Cloth

• Wrapping your gift in cloth is a cool way to make it look unique. Use leftover scraps of fabric or old pieces of clothing that you no longer wear. Using cloth for gift wrap allows you to make the gift wrap itself part of the gift. For example, you can use a festive handkerchief, towel, scarf or blanket, and some twine or ribbon to wrap up a present, thus giving the recipient an additional gift.
  
  

Custom-Made Paper

• Making your own wrapping paper allows you to give your presents your own personal touch. Paint, stamp and glue materials to parchment paper or even old paper grocery bags to create your own gift wrap. Make a gorgeous, textured wrapping paper using two sheets of wax paper, placing leaves, ribbon or other flat objects between them and sealing them together with an iron. Making homemade wrapping paper can make for a fun family activity and holiday tradition.
  
  

Crepe Paper

• Crepe paper is typically used as streamers for decorating a room, however these colorful rolls of crinkled paper can be used as gift wrap. Crepe paper makes an inexpensive and fun gift wrapping for smaller gifts. Use crepe paper to make bows, flowers and pom poms to decorate larger gift packages, as well. Use complimentary colors of crepe paper and design your own striped, checkered or polka dot patterns. Crepe paper is stretchy and sturdy which makes it good for wrapping oddly shaped gifts.